Barriers to Academic Career Development for University Teachers

Abstract

Barriers to Academic Career Development for University TeachersThe relevance of the issue in the present study is determined by the fact that it is difficult to engage and retain employees (including young ones) in the academic sphere because of various career barriers, which complicate pursuing a career in higher education. The study was conducted using the method of expert interviews with 108 full-time employees of Russian universities including administration, management, academic and teaching staff. These interviews identified the key barriers to academic careers for researchers and also classified these barriers. Presented findings can be useful for HR departments of higher education institutions for building various career paths for the employees of different ages, or for identifying specific types of barriers in career development to be overcome. The results of the study are relevant for academic and teaching staff interested in career development. The prospect of further research is to conduct a quantitative analysis based on the questionnaire results received from interviewing academic and teaching staff with the use of the proposed classification of academic career barriers.